Beginnings of Light in the Shadow of Darkness
by Ranger Scarlet Davidson
Summary: A mysterious figure shows up at Castle Redmount with news of the Shadow Army's movements in the north. She also brings news of the Shadow Army taking a prisoner. But before she can tell Baron Arald who it is she is struck down with a shadow dart. Who is the one who attempted to assassinate her? For what purpose? The most important question is: Who is the prisoner?
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi one and all and thanks for coming to read my fanfiction Beginnings of Light in the Shadow of Darkness. I am new at fanfiction and please don't flame because... *points to corner where Gilan appears waving a flaming marshmallow around***_

 _ **5 year old Gilan: Flames are for marshmallows!**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: Ranger's Apprentice doesn't belong to me in any way form or fashion.  
**_

 _ **Chapter 1:**_

A group of shadowy men surrounded a figure in a mottled green cloak. A black mare with red spots was rearing up beside the figure, defending her. The girl unsheathed the sword that was hanging from the left side of her waist after one of the men made her longbow skid across the clearing. Another man leaped behind her right as she made her sword become its fire form. The man clamped down on her neck, attempting to choke her. She leaped up and kicked the man in the privates after she had spun around in midair. However, the man's companion, the next to last one, came at her while swinging his axe around his head and yelling a battle cry. The girl turned around and slid underneath the man's axe and stabbed him with her sword in the fleshy part of his left calf. It worked to get the man to stop swinging his axe, but instead he made it come down on her sword, shattering the handle after she let go.

"That was my favorite sword! My father gave that sword to me for my thirteenth birthday!" the girl cried out in rage.

She ran at the man, as she ran at him she pulled out her saxe and throwing knives from the sheath on the right side of her hip. She rammed the hilt of the saxe knife into the man's forehead, effectively making him black out. The last one lunged at her with his sword and she made it completely stop by using the double knife defense. The the girl used her elbow and rammed it into his right eye and as the shadow man reached up to attempt to clear it she whacked him with the hilt of her saxe knife, which caused him to faint.

The girl groaned as she hobbled back to her horse on one leg after her ankle had been sprained. It was swollen and had black and blue bruises on it. The girl had a gash on her forehead and bruises forming on her arms. Suddenly a large Golden Retriever burst through the bushes.

"Hello Firefly! Ember and I were wondering where you went!" the girl said cheerfully.

Suddenly she frowned and checked her saddle bags to make sure a piece of paper was still in there.

"Okay, Ember, you know the way to Castle Redmount right?" asked the figure as she went to feed her horse and apple.

The mare huffed and looked at her rider as if to say _of course I do. Don't be ridiculous._

The girl snorted and said "I know you do I was just making sure."

She swung up onto Ember and winced from her ankle and she put pressure on it in the stirrups. The she nudged her horse with her heels and they were off, with Firefly bounding along beside them.

* * *

As the girl arrived at Castle Redmount, she was stopped by one of the guards at the gate.

"What is your business at Castle Redmount?" asked one of the guards.

"I have information about the Shadow Army's movements," said the figure in a quiet voice as to try not to let their conversation be eavesdropped on.

The guard's eyes narrowed but he allowed the girl to pass by him and through the gate after he saw the flash of a bronze oak leaf around her neck.

* * *

Baron Arald was in his office relaxing when he received a very **special** visitor.

" **My Lord, the Ranger Ashley's apprentice, Fira Davidson, daughter of the Ranger Gilan Davidson is here with news of the Shadow Army's Movements!** "

Fira looked at Martin and told him, "Number one, I told you just Fira...Davidson is fine and number two, had I known you were going to shout out my full title I would've asked for a fanfare and some confetti too," she finished sarcastically.

Martin flushed and said in the quietest voice he could manage, "But titles are formalities and…"

"What is the news Fira? Martin, you can go," Baron Arald cut in.

After Martin left the room Fira sat down in one of the two chairs that were in front of the Baron's desk and leaned forward, clasping her hands together and delivered the news that she had been carrying sleeplessly for 4 days straight, "The Shadow Army is moving northward to Castle Araluen to take over King Duncan's throne," she stated placidly, "They also will try to bargain with him with the prisoner that they have taken."

Now Arald was intrigued, "Do you know who this prisoner is?"

Fira looked up and nodded and the Baron took note of the tears in her eyes as she opened her mouth and said, "It's…"

She didn't finish the sentence, she just slumped over in her chair. Baron Arald noticed the gold shafted dart that was sticking out of her neck. He got out of his chair and moved over next to the girl's limp form.

He yanked the dart out and as he examined it his eyes grew as wide as saucers, "A shadow dart."

 _ **Fira: Why'd you knock me out with a shadow dart? You know those things can… *starts mumbling after Scarlet's hand shoots out of the shadows and covers Fira's mouth***_

 _ **Scarlet: No spoilers! *Removes hand and turns to audience* Well that's the end of chapter one! Hope you all enjoyed! Please no flaming (those are for marshmallows!) Also, don't kill me for the cliff hanger! *Runs away to hide in Will's cabin***_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2 was a little bit harder to write because I really didn't have any ideas for it. Then I turned on my music and walked around outside of my house and BAM! I had an idea. WARNING: Does get slightly dark in this chapter. Please review. Also, please don't flame because... *points to corner where Gilan appears waving a flaming marshmallow around***_

 _ **5 year old Gilan: Flames are for marshmallows!**_

 _ **DISMCLAIMER: I don't own Ranger's Apprentice. I also doesn't own Forestyne, she belongs to Ranger Rowan Treaty. I only own Fira, Ash, the plot and some other background characters that'll pop up from time to time.**_

 _ **Ranger Rowan Treaty: Thanks! I am enjoying your story too!**_

 _ **Chapter 2:**_

Fira's eyelids flickered open and all she could see was the color white. White walls, white floor, white sheets and to make it worse, she was dressed in clothes that were white. It was as if someone had bleached everything but forgot her. All was quiet.

 _Is this heaven?_ Fira wondered vaguely and she looked around the room, considering the fact that she could very well be dead, seeing as all she could after the prick was darkness. Not the velvety, comforting darkness either, no, this was darkness that was prickly, venomous as a cobra that was poised to strike.

Her dreams had been plagued with the screams her father being tortured, of a tank of water with her tied to a wooden post and after she was dunked in the tank, darkness fell and she could see no more. Then, as she was drowning in the pool of darkness 3 hands reached down through the shadows and pulled her out. She laid on the bank gasping for breath. Then she had realized the three figures sitting near her around a campfire were her Uncle Will, he Father and Grandpa Halt. All of them smiled, stood up, walked over to her and gave Fira a large group hug. Then she had woken up.

 _Nope, this isn't heaven, this is just the infirmary,_ Fira thought as she heard two certain men arguing.

"Will, she's _unconscious._ She can't exactly _see_ anyone while she is unconscious," Halt pointed out.

"Even if Fira is unconscious she can still hear us," stated Will matter-of-factly.

"Can we please just go see her?" asked a voice that Fira recognized as her best friend (but they were more like sisters), Forestyne, more commonly called Forest.

As the trio walked into the infirmary they saw the blonde sitting up and looking at the doorway with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Hello Grandpa Halt and company! Nice to know you're thinking of me… while I'm unconscious" Fira's calm demeanor dissolved and she fell over laughing, along with Will and Forest.

"Very funny Fire," grumbled Halt, "Aralad said that you mentioned that you knew who the Shadow Army's prisoner is. Get out of those infirmary clothes and we'll talk about it."

* * *

"So, who is this prisoner? When did you find out? Is the prisoner a he or a she? Do you know him/her? Do we know him/her? Wh-" Will cut himself off when he noticed the look that Halt was giving him.

Fira sighed, the black poison that showed in her veins throbbed as she began her tale, "Well, do you remember 4 days ago when Father went missing? I found him in a clearing all tied up by some Shadow Army men. I hid in an oak tree's shadow in the hopes that I could eventually slip away to get reinforcements. When the leader of the group got his attention taken away from where my hiding spot was, I took my chance and slipped away. I walked around in a 4 to 8 mile radius because I had left Ember near the clearing but I found no one that was willing to help a little girl in a mottled cloak rescue someone important to her," she said the last sentence bitterly and took a sip of the water Forest had brought her.

Then she continued, "After I found where they had been camping again the men were gone and so was my father," she looked up with tears threatening to spill out out of her blue eyes, "I-I took so long trying to find help to rescue my father that it had rained and they had moved. Even Firefly couldn't pick up the scent. However, I picked up the snippets of information that the men had been discussing around their campfire that told of their movements. I pieced the information together and filled in the blanks. Then I ran for Ember but I was ambushed by some Shadow Men on the way over to her. I managed to fight them off with minimal injuries and weapons damage. After that, Firefly came into the clearing and all three of us took off towards Redmount. When we arrived and I cowed Martin for yelling," she grinned at the last part and took another swig of the water.

The story continued, "Then the Baron and I discussed the Shadow Army's movements towards Castle Araluen and I told him that they had captured a prisoner. Right as I was about to tell him who I felt a prick in my neck, then darkness and now here I am." She finished with a sweep of her arms around the room. Fira was exhausted so she curled up in the bed and fell asleep.

* * *

"So she was shot by a shadow dart?" asked Will, "What is a shadow dart anyway?

"You and your never ending questions," grumbled Halt before he explained as he looked around cautiously, "A shadow dart knocks out its victims, putting them into limbo, as some would call it, with a venom that has no name. While in this the victim is plagued by possible present happenings and maybe even terrible 'visions' of the future. The poison is black and spreads through their veins, making them an ink color and stand out against the body of the victim. This kind of ruthless weapon is generally used by shadow assassins. There has been no discovered cure that we know of."

"Wait a minute," said Will in a thoughtful and alarmed tone as he came to an abrupt stop, causing the others to stop as well, "Are you saying that someone sent an assassin to assassinate Fira because she knew what their movements where and who their prisoner was and that because whoever it was never got caught that Fira very well could still be out there and that person could try to assassinate her?"

"5 points to the thoughtful and famous Will Treaty!" a voice drawled sarcastically from the shadows, "At least you caught on to the hints."

 _ **Okay. I know that some of you may actually enjoy my writing so please don't kill me for the cliffhanger! *dodges throwing knife* I'll attempt to have chapter 3 up and running in a day or two! *dodges saxe knife* Hey! Quit that before I get killed and can't write anymore! *audience quiets down* I hope you enjoyed! *Runs off stage***_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hello my ever-faithful readers! I have started a new chapter for your pleasure. I'm really excited for the new character that's going to be introduced in this new chapter! So fun!**_

 _ **To Guest: Thanks for loving my story! Also, don't take my coffee or the honey! I haven't had my three daily cups yet!**_

 _ **Alright, disclaimer time. *sighs*  
**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or Forestyne. They belong to their rightful owners.**_

 _ **WARNING: After this chapter you will never hear the word 'oats' the same way ever again.**_

 _ ***starts giggling uncontrollably* *saying incoherent things***_

 _ **Halt: *stares* Are you done yet? *sighs* Never mind.**_

 _ **Chapter 3:**_

 _"5 points to the thoughtful and famous Will Treaty!" a voice drawled sarcastically from the shadows, "At least you caught on to the hints."_

All weapons were immediately drawn and pointed at the figure that had just stepped out of the shadows.

"Now, now," said the girl with a smile, "Put those pointy things in a different direction, someone could get hurt."

"Who are you?" asked Halt in a gruff tone.

"Why," the girl had a mock-hurt expression on her face, "My name is Ivy and I'm here to help Fira get better."

"How exactly are you going to do that?" asked Will.

"I have the antidote."

"How did you get said antidote?"

"I-I..." Ivy paused, collecting her thoughts before continuing, "I was a part of the assassin's guild OATs."

Halt slammed her into a tree and held her there by her neck, "Did you try to assassinate Fira?!"

"N-no! That was my mentor, Vine. He said if I gave you all the antidote he would kill me."

"Then why are you asking to give it to us?"

"It's because I feel that if I die I'll have a better chance at making friends," this sentence was spoken softly, before continued in a louder tone, "Besides, he's my father and the fact that I couldn't hit the center of a target from two feet away should tell you how bad of an assassin I would be. I would much rather be a healer."

"How good of a healer could you be?" questioned Will.

"I know every poison in the assassin archives, how to cure them, as well as the treatment for physically every ailment known to mankind."

Halt's hand was removed from her neck and he said "If your father is a shadow assassin, why don't you humor me and tell us why you are here?"

Ivy took a deep breath, "It started a while back, when Morgorath was still a terror to the country. An assassin organization called the 'Organization for Assassin Tailors' arose in the midst of it all. They hoped to please Morgorath by killing off those that posed as threats to his plans. The members would hide in a village, posing as a tailor, they would gain the trust of the villagers and then they would assassinate the one they were assigned to kill. No one would suspect it to be the tailor because of the trust they had built up. They recently decided to get back at the ones who had helped defeat Morgorath by killing their children. I was never really one for being an assassin but both of my parents were, so it was expected that I become one. I have studied the many different poisons that the shadow assassins use and I know the cure for them all. Fira and I met once, while my father was posing as a tailor in a town called Barcombe. I had no money at the time and my parents had beat me so you could still see my bruises. I was hungry as well, Fira gave me a few coins and she told me to get some food. I owe her a debt from that because if it hadn't been for her kindness, I would have died. I feel that now is a good time to repay that debt."

"So, you are saying that you owe Fira a debt for saving your life?" asked Will.

"Yes."

"Also that your parents beat you, starve you and to top it off they are assassins."

"Sounds about right."

"You know the cure for the poison in shadow darts?"

"Yes."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go cure Fira!"

* * *

The quintet arrived at the infirmary and Ivy ran to Fira's side.

Ivy frowned and said, "I'm going to need burdock, echinacea, ipecac syrup, milk thistle tincture and yellow dock tincture. Quickly now, she doesn't much time. Could you get me a couple towels, some cold water and some boiling water?"

Everyone nodded and split up and bustled off to do as she had asked. Once she had what she needed, she got to work grounding the herbs up. She made tea with the burdock, echinacea, yellow dock, she also added in honey to sooth Fira's throat and she poured in the ipecac syrup as well. They had managed to awaken her so that she could drink whatever Ivy made. She also made Fira drink tea that had been made by both of the tinctures.

Fira made a face of disgust as she drank the different teas, "Could you at least have not made it taste like throw up?"

Ivy looked at her, "It's meant to cure you, not for you to have a tea party with."

Fira sighed but drank the rest of the tea anyway.

* * *

Over the course of 7 days, with Fira drinking the tea three times a day, once at every meal, the poison slowly made its way out of her system. Ivy soon proclaimed that the poison was gone and that she could go out and play/practice, but nothing to hard. When Fira had regained full strength and had practiced to her fullest to get her skills sharpened again, they had a feast. Fira started to get fidgety from spending all those days in the infirmary bed and everyone ran around out side for a while. Ivy taught the Rangers everything she knew about shadow assassins.

Fira stood up and stretched, then walked into the dining room for breakfast. Ivy, Will, Halt and Forestyne were already there.

She sat down and looked at Will, "When are we going to look for Father?"

Will looked up and gravely said, "Today. Gather your things, get Ember tacked up and bring Firefly. Do all of that after you eat breakfast."

 ** _So... I did cliffhanger again! Don't kill me for this one either! I'll try to get another chapter up in... give or take 5 days. I hope you will review. *gives kicked puppy look* I hope you enjoyed. Oh! I you think of any, add any ideas on what I could do in the future. This is Ranger Scarlet Davidson signing off, have a great day!_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hello my ever-faithful readers! I thank you for all the reviews I have received so far. Also, please review this chapter, I like getting feedback from my readers.**_

 _ **the last ones: Thanks for liking my story! Update is here as promised!**_

 _ **ranger rowan: Yeah, but Halt and Will always find a way to get out of tight spots!**_

 _ **wolfe lover: Update is here! *grabs coffee back and takes a sip* Ahhhh, that's better!**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately, Ranger's Apprentice doesn't belong to me. Also, Forestyne doesn't belong to me either.**_

 _ **Chapter 4:**_

As the group (Halt, Will, Fira, Ivy and Forest) rode off towards the woods, the remained silent. This was a mission that was not to be laughed at. Gilan was missing and the group planned on getting him back. After about 4 hours of alternating between riding and going on foot, the riders stopped for the night.

"Fira, you and Ivy go and collect firewood and get the fire going, Will and Forest, start cooking the food. I'll take a look around," instructed Halt.

As the group members did as they were assigned, Fira noticed that something seemed off about their surroundings. She dismissed it, filing the suspicion away to mention to Halt or Will later.

* * *

Soon night had fallen and Halt had returned. The fire was kept burning as the night wound on. Fira settled down from first watch and fell into fitful sleep. Soon she was shaken awake. She immediately sat up with her sword drawn, ready to defend. Ivy, who had been given the task of shaking her awake, jumped back in surprise.

"Gahhh! Don't shoot the messenger! I was sent to wake you up because Will heard a sound and everyone was supposed to be roused," Ivy said in an urgent whisper.

Fira put her sword away and stood up. She looked around and caught a glimpse of movement in the shadows. Her sword flashed out again and the flat side of the blade slammed into a shadow man's chest. Fira's eyes widened as she realized that this was an ambush. She launched into action, sheathing the sword and whipping her bow out and she started to fight like there was no tomorrow. Her eyes flicked over to where Ivy was and upon seeing that her friend was in trouble, a volley of arrows made quick work of Ivy's adversaries. Ivy grabbed some herbs out of the satchel that was hanging at her side and flung them into an enemy's eyes. The result was the man staggering back trying to get the stinging herbs out of his eyes.

Fira soon ran out of arrows and the men kept coming. She and Ivy exchanged glances and nodded. They scampered up trees under the cover of shadows and surveyed the fighting as the men in the clearing looked for them. Will and Forest were holding out on their own and Halt was...being Halt. Will looked like he needed more arrows and Forest was punching the men because she had already ran out of arrows. Fira drew her sword as she and Ivy leaped down to help the rest of their group. Fira slashed and hacked at the men, taking down one after another.

"There are too many of them! We need to retreat!" yelled Ivy as she blinded another man with powder.

"No! We can still win this fight!" yelled Fira, who sliced off a man's leg.

Just then they saw that there were more coming at them and Fira hissed as one used acid to burn her arm and a leg. She got her vengeance by shooting a poisoned dart at him. Then the group ran to their horses and this led to a wild, desperate race to the safety of Castle Wolfe. They found that the shadow warriors had archers who were almost as accurate as the Rangers. Forest yelped as an arrow whizzed past her, scraping her shoulder as it went.

* * *

Night was gone by the time Castle Wolfe was in sight, the valiant efforts of the group were diminished as they tried to urge their horses into one last burst of speed. Just then, a group of shadow warriors jumped out of the trees and knocked all of them off of their horses. As they swarmed over the group of four Rangers and a healer, tying them down and gagging them, a call sounded through the trees.

"Begone evil warriors!" was the chant as a group of fully armored knights rode into the clearing.

One of the warriors hissed and nodded to 5 of his men to guard the prisoners as he and the rest attacked the knights. Fira looked up at her guard, then at Forest. The two nodded and used their tied up hands, as well as shoulders, to flip up their feet and knock their guards backwards. Forest pulled out a knife and cut both of their bonds. The two looked around and their eyes narrowed to the guards that were guarding Halt and Will. The two looked at each other and agreed. Fira knocked out Ivy's guard and Forest cut her loose. Then Forest and Fira took down Will and Halt's guards while Ivy cut them loose.

The knights had finished with the men and they rode over and one asked "Are all of you alright?"

Fira started to laugh and the knight looked taken aback as he took his helmet off.

"Why are you laughing?" he questioned.

"Well, the irony of you asking if we were alright is hilarious considering the fact that we probably look like we've been dumped into a large bathtub of mud and then got rained on in blood," is all she could manage while in hysterics.

"Well, then follow us," he said, putting his helmet back on.

The company rode on down the road in the forest and Fira's eyes widened as she took in the breathtaking detail of the castle. Before now, she had seen a vague outline, but she could now see every detail, the swirls of marble in the stone, the golden lines that threaded the floor, the high arching roof, the guard towers and everything else.

The knight stopped and faced them, "Rookies and riders, I present to you, Castle Wolfe."

 _ **I'm really sorry that this chapter is extremely short, I'll make it up to you though! This chapter was supposed to be filler before we can get to the good stuff later on. That knight may or may not have a role in the next few chapters. *grins evilly* Love you all, kisses! Thanks for reading and review!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hi! I told you I would make up a chapter for you! But first, review response time!  
**_

 _ **ranger rowan: Ummm... I think I saw a sign for a Ranger cabin that was for sale... or maybe it was for rent? I don't know... besides, don't you live with your dad (Will Treaty) in a Ranger cabin anyway?**_

 _ **wolfe lover: Yup, I gave you your very own castle! May I have my coffee back please? Also, yay! Sugar hype!**_

 _ **Thank you readers for reading please review... hey wait a minute!**_

 _ **Sorry, DISCLAIMER: Ranger's Apprentice and Forestyne do not belong to me.**_

 _ **Also, I am so, so sorry for the delay! Between school and life I didn't have a whole lot of time to dedicate to fanfiction. Sorry. Please forgive me!**_

 _ **Chapter 5**_

As the gang of rangers and soldiers walked into the room they stopped and stared at the throne that sat in the middle of the room. The throne had spikes that fanned out almost all over the wall. As Halt looked closer though, he found that the spikes weren't spikes, but weapons. Spears, swords, knives, maces and whips that were set with diamonds, rubies, sapphires were all over the throne, and the weapons were dripping blood. The armrests were made of obsidian and the seat and back were made of plush red velvet. The obsidian glittered dangerously in the golden torchlight.

"I want all of this blood mopped up before Lord Ignacio gets back so that he won't have to bother himself with such trivial matter!" commanded a man that had sandy hair with a red streak running through the middle.

"Yes, General," grumbled a quintet of men that looked like siblings.

Just then, General looked up and noticed the group staring at him.

"General Star, what happened here?" demanded the troop's leader, the golden knight Rayburn, General of the First Contingent of the the Trojan army.

"Ah, General Rayburn," sneered Star, "How, ah, lovely it is for you to drop in with the new troops. If you must know, a man was fed up with his life and the way Lord Ignacio leads, so he threw himself off of the rafters," as if on cue everyone looked up, "with a noose around his neck. As he fell, the knot holding the rope to the rafter beam snapped, and he was speared through several times because he fell onto Lord Ignacio's throne."

When Star finished, everyone was staring at him and Will looked distinctly green.

"Well, on that happy note where's Ig-" started Ivy.

"Lord," corrected Star.

"Lord Ignacio?" finished Rayburn.

"He'll be back soon. He went to go get-er- groceries," said Star with a (fake) smile.

"Humph. He better hurry up. I can't stay here all day," said one of the new troops.

"What's your name?" asked Star.

"I'm from Troop One-zero-one, Sergeant Heavy McDungle," replied the boy.

"Well, Mister Sergeant McDungle, I am your general now, and if I tell you to stand there all day, you WILL STAND THERE. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!" snapped Star.

"Yes sir," squeaked McDungle.

Star harrumphed and turned away. Just then, a fanfare sounded from a herald the group didn't even know was in the room. Everyone but Halt jumped as a large black and silver horse thundered into the throne room. A figure clad in obsidian armor with veins of gold running through the obsidian hopped off of the horse. The figure was turned away from the group and took his/her helmet off, revealing a short, black haircut, but still long by 'boy' standards. The figure turned around and Fira took note of the scars lacing the man's neck and face.

"Star, help me get this armor off," he snapped.

Star started to unbuckle the man's armor, "So, my lord, how was your journey?"

"It was fine. I showed the other disobedient lords that are under my rule who's in charge. They should hurry up and make me king already!" said Ignacio crisply.

"I thought that King Duncan was on the throne and Princess Cassandra was next in line?" said McDungle tentatively.

"He is, but I was thinking that it's time for a new king to reign," replied Ignacio as he looked at his fingernails confidently.

"You can't do that!" shouted Will.

Ignacio looked up, "Is that a challenge?" he said.

"Maybe it is! I could beat you if you didn't have that armor on and it was one-on-one with weapons," snapped Fira.

Ignacio laughed, "Alright then, I'll remember that. By the way, do you know a man who's about yeh high, dirty blonde, wears green and brown, feisty and cracks lots of jokes?"

"Gilan!"

"Uncle!"

"Father!"

"Where is he?!" snarled Halt, Will, Forest and Fira.

"Here you are!" cackled Ignacio, dumping a body on the floor.

Gilan was covered from head to toe in cuts, scratches, scrapes and bruises. The bruises colors ranged from black to a sickly green-purple-yellow. Some of the bruises and cuts oozed pus and one of his eyes were swollen shut.

Gilan looked up and saw Ignacio looking at him, "Are you Ignacio?"

"I am Lord Ignacio, yes," said Ignacio.

"Great. Imma deck you in the snozz," said Gilan.

"Oh really? I'll remember that for later."

Ignacio forced the group to go to a dinner party and the food went from spaghetti to chocolate pudding. After a lot of eating and chatter, the troop decided to go to bed.

"Where are we sleeping?" slurred Will.

"You'll find out," said Ignacio with an ominous smile.

"What do you mea-" said Fira as suddenly she fell over, asleep.

Soon, all of the rangers, Rayburn and Ivy had fallen asleep.

Ignacio towered over them. He looked to his guards and General Star, "Take them to the dungeon."

 _ **Whew! Don't kill me for hurting Gilan! It was neccessary for the plot! Once again, please forgive me! The next chapter will come out soon. Also, Jenny is Fira's mom.  
**_

 _ **-Ranger Scarlet Davidson**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**I'm back! This was written relatively fast, but that's because this is a filler chapter. Also, because I'm supposed to give you a warning, there is torture in this chapter, so if you skip to the next chapter, it really won't matter.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Ranger's Apprentice and Forest do not belong to me.**_

As the Rangers and knights slowly came to, Ivy groaned, "My head is killing me!"

They're coming to, grab the one that just spoke...that's in the room!" snarled a voice.

Ivy's vision hadn't completely cleared yet, but her head moved to track the boot steps as they got closer. A hand roughly snatched her to her feet by the back of her shirt. Ivy let out an undignified squawk and waved her arms wildly. As she stumbled down the hall with the men, she felt the air temperature start to drop. As Ivy's vision cleared she was shackled to the ceiling and one of her feet became chained to a cannonball.

"This won't hurt a bit," said one of the men, a gleam in his eye that Ivy didn't like one bit.

 _ ***Warning: Torture descriptions start now. Viewer discretion is advised!***_

Her shirt was removed, revealing the tank top that was underneath it. The men cut away the back of her tank top, from her middle back down until the lower half of her back was exposed. The man picked up a whip and cracked it experimentally. Then the whip started to cut into Ivy's back. All that escaped her lips throughout the pain was a small intake of air.

"Make the girl scream Brand!" snarled the other man.

Brand cackled and turned back to Ivy. The whip started to dig itself into Ivy's back, eventually stopping after her back was red, bloodied and raw. The men unshackled her and threw her into a corner on top of some moldy hay. They left some water for her, the tiniest bit to salivate her tongue. Ivy then fell into fitful sleep. The next day, her back practically oozed pus and were infected. The whippings continued, but the pus stopped flowing.

One of the men (Ivy had taken to calling him General Torture) leaned in and said, "Join us and we'll heal you, your brokenness."

Ivy looked up and rasped, "I'm beaten and battered, but I'm not broken."

General Torture sighed and told Brand, "Get the torch."

Brand nodded and left the room, returning with a torch that lit up the entire chamber.

"I had hoped it wouldn't come down to this, but you're stronger than we anticipated," General Torture said, "Why won't you break?"

Suddenly the torch was thrust towards Ivy's back, feeling nice after being in a cold room for a long time, but quickly became scorching hot. The blood that flowed out of Ivy's back started sizzling, adding fuel to the fire.

Ivy let loose a high pitched noise that was a mix between a scream and a wail, with one word that General Torture and Brand were shocked to hear, "Brother!" Then Ivy fell limp. The two men looked at each other and then they undid the bonds, Ivy fell to the floor unconscious.

"Quickly Brand, we must take her to our chambers, I have the herbs we need there," said Torture.

Brand nodded and the men carried Ivy away.

 _ **Uhhhhhh...yeah, this is filler so please don't take it seriously! I promise I'll fill in the plot holes that I've dug next chapter. Maybe. Anyway, Thanks for reading, please leave a review!**_

 _ **Bye!**_

 _ **-Scarlet Davidson**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Before I begin this chapter I am going to say, Happy Holidays! Here are some cookies (whatever kind you like) so curl up and enjoy the chapter! I say thank you to Jodaleechee for following me! Yes! Also, this is a filler chapter before we get to the good stuff. Happy holidays!**_

Ivy woke up on a lush bed, with silk sheets that had patterns of gold swirling over them like waves. She felt a stinging sensation on her back, but it didn't last long. She sat up and winced as pain shot through her back, Ivy looked around curiously. The room she was in was dimly lit, with a few torches scattered here and there. Her bed was against the far wall and a cane was beside her bed.

"Probably for my convenience of walking," muttered Ivy as she continued surveying the room.

An empty fireplace was sadly standing on the other side of the room. Ivy pushed off of the bed and grabbed the cane in a death grip as a storm of pain rocketed through her back. She shuffled over to one of the torches and picked it up, then she toddled over to the fireplace. Ivy waved the torch over the wood that was already in the fireplace. The flames jumped up and light ran across the room, bathing everything in a golden glow. Ivy sighed and sat down on the rug in front of the fireplace, the exercise being a lot for her wound.

She was idly watching a spider make its web when a voice cut through the room, "What are you doing? You should be resting your back, not re-opening your wounds and causing us to replace your bandages again! It was bad enough when you were tossing and turning and screaming your head off like you were being murdered."

Ivy turned and saw a dark haired woman glaring at her through green eyes, "Excuse me ma'am, but who are you?"

"I am Macy, lady of the masons in this region."

Ivy shifted and said, "When can I see my friends?"

"Now, if you wish."

Ivy nodded and winced once again as she stood up. Lady Macy lead her to a cell, and as the door swung Ivy saw her friends in pretty good shape. They looked up and saw Ivy and their faces had blooming flowers of hope once again. Ivy looked at Halt, who nodded.

"Alright, everyone up, Lady Macy has agreed to let us stay with her for a little while," Ivy announced happily.

The members of their small group stood up, with the exception of Gilan, who looked a little worse for wear. They all slowly walked towards Lady Macy's rooms. Once they got everything settled, they decided to make a plan.

"Here, I have a map of the castle," Lady Macy said, smoothing out a map and handing over some quills with ink.

"Okay, here, beside the gate is one of the most fortified parts of the castle," Fira said, circling the gate.

The group leaned in close as they made their plans. Even Lady Macy wanted Ignacio gone.

"From what I remember there are other prisoners from Araluen in the dungeons," Ivy said, looking up.

No one had dared to ask what she had gone through, but bit by bit, the old Ivy was slipping away, providing a person who could be a very good general, or an assassin. Ivy had a key role in helping with plans to free the prisoners in the dungeons. Lady Macy went down and made the plans with them as well. All of the prisoners agreed, even though they knew they could, and probably would, die. They were willing to provide the distraction needed to get the rangers and some other important people out.

They had all agreed to this plan. It was perfected. Ivy, Forest, Fira and Halt (the most tactful of the group) gathered gear and to ride off to find allies who would aid them in battle.

 _ ***Innocent look* Cliffhanger! He's hanging from a cliff! That's why his name is Cliffhangerrr! Yes. I watched Between the Lions in first grade, my teacher would put it on every Friday morning and my class would watch it. Anyways, filler, blah blah blah. Ranger's Apprentice doesn't belong to me. I'll get the next chapter out soon. Maybe. Sometime. You know, maybe it'll be published sometime in February. If I have time. Bye now.**_

 _ **-Ranger Scarlet Davidson**_


	8. Chapter 8

**_*Groan* I am so sorry my dear readers. Between my life, my work, hobbies and other things, I have not had enough time to sit down and write this story. I have a good ways to go still. I apologize for my inconvenient writing schedule. Also, I do not know if I have mentioned this, but I do appreciate all of the reviews I have received with this story. I will say that things will pick up in the next few chapters or so. I'm also aware that the Trojans may or may not be in this time period that RA takes place in. On a side note, I do not own Ranger's Apprentice. Unfortunately. So, on to the story!  
_**

Iv, Fira, Forest and Halt were about to ride off when a cry of "Wait!" sounded. The quartet turned and looked behind them, and what to their wondering eyes should appear, but a battle horse, with a suited up knight on top, weapons bouncing. His armor was golden with silver streaks, and his helmet had a forest green plume rising from the top.

"Who are you? What are you wearing?" Halt asked, eyebrow raised.

The knight flipped up his visor, "It is I, the Golden Knight Rayburn, Leader of the First Contingent of the Trojan Army."

"Why are you coming?"

"You see, I have news on our treacherous enemies, the Vikings. I must carry this information to my superiors, as well as the my lieutenant generals at our camp."

Halt stroked his chin, "Army you say? You're the general, correct?"

General Rayburn looked taken aback, "Yes, I'm the general."

"That means you're in charge, ja?"

"Well, for the most part, yes."

"Why didn't you mention this little detail before?"

"You never asked."

"May we accompany you to your camp?"

"I suppose," General Rayburn said, tilting his head.

Fira butted in, "Then to you, my good general, lead the way."

* * *

The quintet arrived at the first contingent's camp. Fires were lit, and tents were scattered throughout the large field. General Rayburn hopped off his horse, and strode into the large white tent. A council sat in the tent, and the Silver Knight Moore, General of the Second Contingent of the Trojan Army looked up.

"Ah, General Rayburn, good to see you again," General Moore said with a small smile.

"Thank you General Moore," General Rayburn said with a polite dip of his head, before turning to the council, "Council, I stand before you with dire news. Ignacio's rule has become worse, and his subjects are suffering."

"This is not good, what do you propose we do?" the head of the council, Schofield, leaned forward, eyebrow raised, ready to listen to ideas.

"My friends from Araluen have a plan, and I ask you allow them to speak for themselves."

Schofield tilted his head at this particularly odd request, before flicking his hand in a dismissive gesture and saying, "Proceed."

Fira stepped forward, "Esteemed council, my name is Fira Davidson, and I stand before you to make a request of you. Ignacio's reign has tightened, as you are aware. My friends and I would like to make him step down from this reign. However, to do so, we need allies. We stand before you to ask if the Trojan Army would assist in our storming of the castle to end the reign of Ignacio and free his subjects."

Schofield looked at her for a long moment, and she maintained her poker face.

"Go outside for a few moments, so we can discuss this topic," Schofield said to the Rangers and Ivy.

The group walked out of the tent, and exchanged glances while waiting. Muffled voices came from the tent.

Around half an hour later, General Rayburn emerged from the tent, "You may come back in."

The Rangers and Ivy stood before the council, Schofield leaned forward, "The council has decided to accept your offer. What is your plan?"

Halt stepped forward, "We plan to invade the castle from the inside. Lady Macy will sound the bell of the church. That will be the que to start the invasion. Half of each the contingents will attack in the cardinal directions. Fira, Forest and Ivy will go and try to find Ignacio to capture and, worst case scenario, kill him. Will and I will be helping out where we can."

Ivy placed the map from earlier on the table, and the council was shown what they had planned, critiquing and fixing it here and there.

* * *

Hoofs stomping.

Muzzles neighing.

Equines rearing.

Weapons sharpened.

Armor repaired.

Helmets donned.

Trojans ready.

 _ **So, because I was feeling a little bit poetic, I tested out some subject-verb poem skills on the last part, now, the next chapter will be a little different, as it involves a few flashbacks. Halt's 'ja' is German for yes. Please review! Thanks for reading!**_


	9. Chapter 9: Misgivings and Captures

_**Hello my dear readers! I have returned from where I went! Whew! Unfortunately, this fanfiction will be ending soon. I know, you are all so disappointed, with my odd writing schedule and all. I am trying to get this finished, as I have other stories to work on, but this is my first, and main, story. Now, there is going to be a little weirdness in the upcoming chapter/s. Starting with this one, there will be a line break. No. No. Scroll back up, I can see you scrolling down to see what I'm talking about. Stop and read. Now, after said line break, the event that taking place will be happening the day before and of the battle for Castle Wolfe. I'll tell you when it stops. Okay? Okay. *grins* DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ranger's Apprentice. Sadly. Now on with the show!  
**_

The Trojan generals and the council were discussing the plan once again when a large ruckus sounded in the camp. General Moore and General Rayburn immediately stood up and marched out of their tent, swords drawn. There, at the front of the camp, stood a man in a silver plated Vikings helmet, and he was laughing.

"HAH! Araluen's Rangers have allied themselves with the Trojans! Pathetic!" he sneered.

"What do you-how did you find this out?" General Rayburn said, stepping forwards.

"A little plant whispered it to Ignacio. Isn't that right Ivy?" he said, smiling, like a cat who at the pet bird, (so it seemed) at Ivy.

Heads whipped around, and a hush fell over the crowd of Trojans, waiting, for the response.

"I didn't-why would I-what are you talking about?!" cried Ivy, her head spinning to attempt to figure out what he was talking about.

"You know exactly what you said! You told Ignacio that the Rangers were going to ally with the Trojans and when they did, you were going to use your shadow darts to kill the Generals and the council so he could take over the armies!" the Viking snarled sadistically.

"No! Ivy would never betray us to the likes of Ignacio!" Fira howled.

"Yes! She is loyal and nice and wouldn't even talk to those such as the likes of you!" Forest growled in agreement.

"Are you sure? I've seen her act suspicious lately. She rode off and stayed gone until well past noon the next day. That's how long it takes to get from here to the castle," a soldier said, stepping forwards.

"She went hunting! We were with her the whole time! We were in the forest!" Fira snarled.

"Are you saying you betrayed us?"

"No! I'm saying, you should listen and be more observant. It's obvious that he's playing you. He did it," Fira pointed at the man.

He raised an eyebrow, "What makes you think I did it? I am the one who's merely informing you. Don't shoot the messenger."

"You simply happen to know this knowledge? How did you come across this information?"

"I happen to have spies in that castle, so I found out through them."

Other soldiers started to chip in, and it appeared that Ivy was being convicted of betrayal to their cause. Later that evening, she and her last two friends sat at a table.

"I promise I didn't!" Ivy cried at the small circle that she, Fira and Forest had formed at time to eat.

"We know. We accompanied you on that ride," Fira said, with a dip of her head.

"How are we going to clear Ivy's name?" Forest asked.

Suddenly Fira's eyes lit up, she was having an epiphany, "I have and idea!"

She leaned forwards and they began to whisper the plan.

Forest walked into the Ranger's tent, "Halt, may I ask you a question?"

"You just did," was the automatic response from the grizzled Ranger.

"Oh, oh, right. Anyways, what do you think about Ivy?"

Halt raised an eyebrow at that one, "I think she has potential. She knows medicine and is easily one of the better female fighters I've seen. She probably knows survival skills as well."

"Do you really think she betrayed us?"

Halt cocked his head, "It's plausible, yes. Do I believe it? Yes and no. All the evidence points to her," the Ranger shook his head with a sigh, "But something about this whole setup doesn't feel right."

Forest bobbed her head, "I think she did it too. Although there has to be a bigger picture to this. We just aren't seeing it."

General Rayburn popped his head in, "It's time to explain the plan to the troops, by the way."

Forest and Halt looked at one another and stood up. They walked to where all of the troops had gathered, and began to explain the plan.

Meanwhile, Ivy and Fira stealthily went to the back of the camp, where the horses and the horse gear were. The stable boy opened his mouth to object, but Ivy shot him with a dart.

"Ivy!" Fira hissed, "Why did you do that? We're trying to be inconspicuous!"

Ivy rolled her eyes, "He'll wake up in around two to three hours, besides, it's better than him raising the alarm now."

Fira sighed, "Good point. Let's make this quick so we can get out of here. The plan showing won't last much longer."

"Right."

The duo walked around and found their horses. Ember and Leaf (Ivy's horse) neighed greetings. Firefly bounced around in Ember's stall, as they put her there because 'some of the troops don't like dogs.' Once the horses were saddled and tacked, Fira and Ivy climbed onto the horses and Fira told Firefly to help Halt and Forest. Firefly whimpered at that, but stayed put. The duo set off at a canter towards Castle Wolfe.

It had been several hours, and Fira and Ivy deducted that their horses needed rest. They stopped in a clearing and rested, their horses drinking from a pond. Fira and Ivy hopped off and were discussing things in hushed voiced while leaning on trees. Fira and Ivy suddenly felt very woozy, and they saw a dart in the other girl's neck.

* * *

When Fira finally came to, they were tied up in a bedroom. Fira looked around, taking note of the dark colors and little light that came in through the window. Booms could be heard, and they were shaking the castle.

"Looks like our plan is working," Ivy said softly, Fira's head jerked over, she hadn't really thought about that.

The door to the room slammed shut.

"Look what you've done! My kingdom was perfect! Now it'll be in ruin!" Ignacio roared.

"No. You're a tyrant and your people need to be set free!" Ivy snarled.

Ignacio's eyes glittered, "Hello Ivy, haven't seen you since the visit here before you disappeared. I assume you went to the Trojans. How are those wounds? I think they are probably still fresh."

Ivy growled, "They're fine thank you. They have pretty much healed by this point. How did you really find out about the Trojans?"

"Ah, the leader of the Vikings, the Trojans mortal enemies told me. He has spies all in that camp anyways."

"What does he look like?"

"Well, I can't remember too much, but he has the only silver plated Viking helmet."

Fira and Ivy exchanged looks. So that's who was a the camp and why the Trojans reacted the way they did.

Ignacio snarled, "Anyways, you two know the plan, I know you do. Tell me it. Now."

"What plan? They don't tell us anything. They don't even trust me." Ivy snorted.

After a few minutes of questioning, Ignacio gave up and walked out, almost tearing the door off its hinges as it was closed in rage. Fira moved over to their weapons, which had been hanging up on a peg. She ended up lifting Ivy up to grab them. Fira used her saxe knife to saw through the ropes. The two put their gear on again, and Fira shouldered her cloak. Ivy checked on her herbs and darts. The two looked at one another and simultaneously flitted out of the room, into the shadows, to find Ignacio.

 _ **And thus ends another chapter. Halt is definitely smart enough to figure out the ploy. So, I do know this. Surprises are in store in the next chapter! Heh. The climax is almost here! Then there's probably going to be a seven hundred word or so epilogue. So, heh. I'll update as soon as I can! Now, until next time!**_


	10. Chapter 10: The Finale

_**Well. Welcome to the Beginnings of Light in the Shadow of Darkness finale. Hang on to your accessories, because this will be a wild ride! I will follow this up with an epilogue and possibly bloopers. Anyways, there will be a bunch of location jumps in this. Italics are flashbacks. Trust me on this, it will make sense in context. *Ahem* DISCLAIMER: Ranger's Apprentice still doesn't belong to me, but I can dream.**_

Halt looked around at the castle. It was almost time for the bell to ring, then all chaos would break out of the dam that had been build around it. They knew the servants we tired of Ignacio's reign and would more than likely join the fight as well.

 **DING DONG**

The bell shattered the silence that was key in the early morning. The Trojans had their siege weapons at the ready. A ripple seemed to fall over them, as they all contemplated what would happen, as this would seal the fight's beginning. A signal was given, and the battering ram swung forwards.

 **WHAM WHAM**

The castle drawbridge was trembling under the power. The battering ram continued on its merciless path. Cries went up as there were sickening **thunks** from bows shooting and taking down Trojans. Halt and Will raised their bows and started shooting at the men armed with crossbows that were in the guard holes of the castle. The Trojans at the back of the attack crowd surged forwards, with ladders at the ready, to climb over the battlements.

The invasion had begun

* * *

The castle trembled from the roots to the top. Lady Macy nodded, knowing that her signal was successful. Footsteps pounded behind her as she strode down the corridor.

"Lady Macy! Please return to your room! This place is un-" the soldier never finished.

Lady Macy yanked the barbed end of her whip out of the soldier's body, and let him fall to the ground. The second soldier clumsily pulled his sword out of his scabbard.

 **CLANG**

The soldier's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he crumpled.

"I've been waiting a long time to do that," declared the cook, lowering his saucepan, "They never truly appreciated fine cuisine, even when you've working six hours on it and they tell you it tastes like dirt."

The group of former servants standing behind the cook snapped out of their shock and looked at Lady Macy.

She smiled maliciously and turned, "Charge!"

"To avenge my cooking!"

The group looked at each other and shrugged. Never get in the way of a cook and his food pride.

* * *

 _A five year old mini Ivy ran up to a young man, look Brother! I drew us at Lake Jonah!"_

 _"It looks wonderful," her brother purred, praising the scribbled picture, "Would you like to hear the story of our founder, Leader Jonah?"_

 _"Oh! Yes please!" Ivy sat down cross-legged._

 _Her brother began to tell her the story._

* * *

The Trojans had taken the castle, and sentries were posted wherever they could be put. Halt, Will and Forest made sure they weren't needed, then they went up to the battlements and were thinking about Fira and Ivy.

"Halt, may I-" Will caught himself before he asked Halt if he could ask a question.

Halt turned, eyebrow raised, "Yes?"

"Ivy never betrayed us, did she?"

"No. That person who showed up and blamed her did."

"What do you mean? How do you know?"

"I did a little searching and found a few spies in the camp. Needless to say, they are taken care of."

"Grandpa, what did you do to them?" Forest asked.

"They might or might not be tied up and gagged and on a boat to Skandia."

"Really Grandpa?"

"They deserve it."

"Uh, Halt?" Will interjected.

"What?"

"What's that?" Will pointed towards the large cloud of smoke from a bonfire that rolled over the sky.

"That's...not good. Forest, stay here and watch the castle. Will, you and I will investigate. Maybe we'll find Fira and Ivy and/or Ignacio."

They nodded and headed off for gear.

* * *

 _"Jonah was the man who started our organization. He pleased Morgorath so much, that he swiftly rose to become one of his most trusted advisers. At least as close as you can get with Morgorath. Soon, more and more people were joining, and the organization thrived. The people that ticked off Morgorath were assassinated by the organization and all was well. Until one day, a person who Jonah once knew very well popped up as his assignment. Jonah couldn't and wouldn't kill the person. This made Morgorath furious, and Jonah became an example. Morgorath beheaded Jonah personally. Since that day, no one in the guild has betrayed, or rebelled, against Morgorath."_

 _Ivy shivered, "That scares me. I'm going to be the best assassin ever and make Lord Morgorath happy!"_

 _Her brother smiled, "You do that Ives."_

 _"Don't call me that!"_

 _"How 'bout Thorn? She can be your assassin alter ego!"_

 _"Okay!"_

* * *

Ivy collapsed near a tree. They had been running for hours, but Fira and Ivy had high endurance. This was unusual. Ivy was sobbing, and would snarl occasionally, clutching her head.

"Ivy? Ivy, what's wrong?" Fira said, worriedly.

"Leave me alone peasant!" Ivy snarled.

Fira winced, "What? I-what are you talking about?"

Ivy shook her head and her eyes cleared, "Oh no. Are you okay? Did she hurt anyone?"

"Who? What? No one was hurt."

" **She's** coming back," Ivy rasped.

"Who?"

"Thorn. My assassin side."

"What?! Are you-she-whatever going to kill me now?!"

"Heh. No. When you're a part of OATs, they put a chip in your head when you're little, and they activate it when you're six. That's the age you start training."

"Well, can you learn to control it? Why is she coming out now? What's the purpose of the chip?"

"Yes, you learn to control it when you're ten, and can start missions. She's coming out now because after I left the organization I suppressed her, she wants out now. The purpose is to control us, to make sure we don't rebel. We turn into the perfect 'assassin material' per say, so we'll be trained more easily."

Ivy growled, and clutched her head, the grip she had tightening.

"Ivy, I believe in you. Thorn will not win. You can beat her," Fira said encouragingly.

"GAHH!" Ivy rolled on the ground in pain. She suddenly fell silent, and relaxed.

"Ivy, are you alright?" Fira asked worriedly.

Ivy's eyes flew open, "My name is Ivy, I am the Thorn in the side of the organization. I will not be controlled by mind chips."

"Ivy?" Fira instinctively backed away.

"I'm fine. This is a blend of Thorn and Ivy."

Fira held out her hand, "Then let's go find Ignacio."

Ivy smiled, "Touche."

* * *

 _Ivy's brother watched her train against her mentor, Vine. Her nine-year old body was slammed into the ground roughly. Her brother took in a gasp of air. His formerly innocent, lovable sister was now a killing machine._

 _He looked up and said softly, "I vow that I'll always be there and protect you Ivy."_

 _"You can't accomplish that on your own," a voice hissed behind him._

 _The man jumped and turned around, "Who are you?!"_

 _"I am a soldier of the Shadow Army. I have come to offer you a deal. Become our leader, and you will always be able to protect your sister."_

 _Ivy's brother looked between the shadow and his sister's training, his mind whirring._

 _He stepped forwards, hand out, "Deal."_

 _The shadow took his hand and laughed, eyes glowing, "Thank you Ignacio."_

 _The man froze for a moment, "Wait, how do you know my-" he never, finished. He crumpled, hearing the laughter of the shadow._

* * *

Halt and Will had ridden out towards the bonfire smoke. They stopped after a little bit, for the horses to rest. Abelard and Tug didn't like it, but Halt and Will made them. They heard conversation and footsteps behind them.

 **THUNK**

"Hey! Don't take my head off Uncle Will!" Fira cried.

Will lowered his bow as Halt and Will stepped forwards and hugged Fira.

"I hate to interrupt this beautiful reunion, but Ignacio is trying to summon the Shadow Demon. We have got to go!" Ivy broke in.

Halt looked at her, "What in the name of all things holy is a Shadow Demon?!"

"It's a demon. Made of shadows. That will destroy the world if we don't hurry. Let's go!"

"What're we going to do?" Fira said, staring at Ivy.

" **We** aren't going to do anything. I'm going to deal with Ignacio once and for all," Ivy said.

"But-"

"This is a family issue. I will kill my brother if it means peace."

"I'm sorry you must do this," Will said.

"Let's go!" Ivy said.

Ivy got on Abelard with Halt (after saying the password first) and Fira got on Tug with Will.

* * *

Ignacio looked up from his ritual and snarled. Everything had been perfect. Now he must destroy the being that was formally his sister. Ivy hopped off of Abelard and reached for her recently acquired sword, pulling it out of its scabbard.

She pointed at Ignacio, "I do not want to harm you. Stand down and leave the Shadow Demon be."

Ignacio laughed, "I'd rather die from trying than surrender to the likes of you! Besides, I don't love you anymore! We are no longer family!"

"Very well, I am forced to defend this world and this kingdom."

With that, Ivy lunged forwards. Ignacio grabbed his sword off of the ground and smoothly parried, then moved for a jab at her ribs. Ivy moved over just in time to avoid it. The battle began to pick up in pace, becoming more and more climactic, the blades singing a deadly song as they clashed. Ivy began to get deadlier and deadlier. She yelped as one of Ignacio's blows actually landed on her arm. Will moved forwards, but Halt put out his hand.

"Don't help her, this is her fight, we'll step in if she gets majorly injured."

Ignacio was beginning to get sluggish, and he was pushed to the side. His reaction time had taken a severe blow, and he turned around slowly. He let out a yell as Ivy's blade fell upon his shin, knocking him down. He growled in pain. Ivy planted her foot on his chest so he couldn't get up. She raised her sword.

"You know what happens if you kill me," Ignacio hissed, his wounds throbbing.

"I know and I don't care. This is for our parents. Our people. Our loved ones. For all of the people you've **killed** to get what you want! This is for breaking my heart and leaving me to gather up the pieces in the dust!"

The sword plunged downwards. Ignacio shuddered, and said he hated Ivy. Then his breath went out of his lungs and his muscles relaxed. His eyes closed.

* * *

"Ivy! You did it!" Fira cried, running to her friend.

Ivy's breath shuddered for a moment, "Yeah, I did, didn't I?"

"Are you alright?" Will asked, taking note of her shuddering breath.

Ivy gagged and coughed up blood, "I-I," she fell to the ground, clutching the area where her heart lied.

"What's going on?" Halt asked.

"I-Ignacio and I a-are siblings. We share a bond, mental and physical. We can o-offer mental shields if one of us is being tortured for information. We can t-talk over the bond as well, in our minds. The b-bond was made by the organization to make sure that we wouldn't kill one another, because if one hurts the other, both feel the pain. If one kills the other, the one that killed will die from that, only slower and more p-painfully."

"Ivy, your brother is the leader of the Shadow Army isn't he?" Fira asked.

"I-I don't see how that's relevant, but y-yes," Ivy wheezed, "C-castle Wolfe is their base of operations."

"Well then! You can't die! We need you to become the Lady of the castle!"

"M-Macy will do a fine job. M-much better than I could do."

"Y-you're our friend though, you can't die!" Fira cried, she now had a thick layer of tears.

"Karma plays b-back at you eventually."

"B-but-"

"No. Listen, little flame, I-" Ivy shuddered, "I-I've killed more people than I care to admit. I deserve this end, it's rather fitting."

Fira's eyes started leaking tears.

"Don't grieve too hard about my death. It's better this way. I hope I made up for all of the killing. Maybe-maybe I'll see my Ignacio again. Maybe-tell them-that-" Ivy took in a breath, and her eyes glazed over. The breath whooshed out and quickly as it was taken in, her muscles relaxing.

Fira was crying hard now. Halt stepped forward, and Fira buried her face in his shirt, her body wracking with sobs. Will came from behind and hugged her. Fira's crying slowly died down.

"We will grieve the minimal amount, to honor Ivy's last wish," Fira murmured.

She walked over to Ivy's body, "Goodbye friend, I may not have known you for long, but you've taught me about humility and friendship. To stand up for family and friends. You were brave to walk out when things didn't seem quite right. I'm sorry Ignacio broke your heart and betrayed you. No one, no one, deserves betrayal from those they love. You didn't deserve this end, no matter how much you thought you did. Maybe you'll see Ignacio again. Goodbye and be safe in the afterlife, you do have the ability to attract trouble after all."

Fira leaned in and closed Ivy's eyes, "She looks peaceful, as if she were sleeping."

"We'll make sure that the Castle Wolfe residents will bury her and Ignacio side by side. Let's get Forest and Gilan and go home," Will said.

 _ **Before you all kill me, I will be posting an epilogue to follow up what happens to Ivy later. See you soon!**_


	11. Epilouge: Ivy's End and Peace Returns

_**Before we get started, Italics are Fira narrating. Because random narration.**_

 _With that, Ivy and Ignacio were placed in the ground side by side. The people weren't happy about burying Ignacio, as they wanted to burn him, but relented when they heard of Ivy's end. So, our heroes turn and head home to Araluen, and to eat Jenny's cooking as well as some well-deserved coffee._

* * *

Ivy's eyes flew open. She sat up and groaned.

"Hello? Anyone?" Ivy's voiced echoed emptily around the vast white space.

The white was oddly comforting in a way, not like the starch whiteness of the infirmary.

"I-Ivy?" A voice rang out in a way that Ivy hadn't heard in a long, long time.

Ivy turned and saw Ignacio standing there, clutching his head. Tears sprung to her eyes, and she fell to her knees.

"Ivy? Ives, are you alright?" Ignacio knelt down in front of her.

"Y-yes it's all fine," Ivy whispered.

"Why-why are you crying? Did I do something? Did I hurt you?"

"Just thinking of a ghost. I missed you."

"Huh? I've been here for you for as long as I can remember."

"You weren't yourself for a while. You-you became the leader of the Shadow Army. You killed to get what you-no he wanted. My heart hurts, Ignacio, he broke it. It hurts so badly, it throbs. I wanted you back. To be loved and hugged by you. For you to say you love me again. H-he told me he and you didn't love me anymore."

"Oh gods," Ignacio's eyes filled with tears as well, "I-I'm sorry Ives. That was never my intention," he pulled Ivy to him and she buried her face in his chest, "All I wanted was to protect you. I-I made a deal with a shadow warrior. He said if I became leader I could make sure you were always safe. The last thing I remember is him laughing. Then I woke up here."

"I'm sorry."

"Whatever for?"

"I-I'm the reason you became like that. I-I killed you to."

"What?" Ignacio said gently.

"I had to!" Ivy howled, "He was going to summon the Shadow Demon and I wanted you back! It was the only way!"

"The Shadow Demon? Did he succeed?"

"No, I killed him before then. Then I died. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Shhh, it's alright, you succeeded, that all that matters. I'm here now."

The siblings embraced. Over their mind link they agreed on an action. Suddenly the scenery became a blur, and the two were hovering about Castle Wolfe.

"Let's end this Brother!" Ivy said.

The two took hands, and a glow appeared around them. They gathered up all of their fear, their rage, their hatred of the fact that they were separated, and released those feelings in a large wave of light. It went all through the world, and the Shadow Army was destroyed. Forever.

* * *

 _And so, Ivy and Ignacio were once again reunited, and everything was fine. The Shadow Army was destroyed, a fair ruler was bestowed upon Castle Wolfe. Halt also got his coffee. Everyone was finally at peace and happy.  
_

 ** _Welp! This is finished! *sniff* I'm so happy, I never thought I would get this far. I've had a lot of support for this fanfiction, so I thank you all. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Also, I may or may not upload some bloopers. If films can do it, so can I. this is like a film anyways. DISCLAIMER: Ranger's Apprentice still doesn't belong to me. Neither does Forest, she belongs to Ranger Rowan Treaty. Thanks for letting me use your character Sis, hope it's accurate. Stay writing my friends!_**


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